“Forever Chemicals” Class Action Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Texas Community

Napoli Shkolnik PLLC has filed a class action lawsuit for the contamination of the groundwater relied upon private well owners in Lubbock, Texas. The class action complaint was filed against manufacturers of aqueous firefighting foams (“AFFF”) containing perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (“PFOS”) and perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA”) and manufacturers of fluorosurfactants containing PFOS and PFOA. The class action complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, MDL No. 2873, In Re: Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF) Products Liability Litigation.

Decades of use, storage, and disposal of AFFF at the former Reese Air Force Base caused the widespread PFOA and PFOS contamination of groundwater in the surrounding community, including contaminating private wells serving residents in Lubbock. To date, over 500 private drinking water wells have been sampled for PFAS, and the Air Force has installed 220 whole-house filters. Testing data has revealed elevated levels of PFAS in dozens of private wells exceeding the USEPA health advisory levels for PFOA and/or additional PFAS for which the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (“TCEQ”) has published protective concentration levels (PCLs).

The class action complaint alleges that plaintiffs and others similarly situated with private water wells in Lubbock have been exposed to high levels of PFAS and are now at an increased risk of several health effects, including testicular cancer, ulcerative colitis, effects on the liver and the immune system, high cholesterol, changes in thyroid hormone, as well as kidney and other cancers. Studies have also shown an association between increased PFOA blood levels and increased risks for several health effects in children (for example, effects on birth weight, cognitive and behavioral development, immune function, and cholesterol levels). Unfortunately, many of these serious health issues can be long-term, especially in children.

The complaint also states that property values in the area have dropped as a result of the contamination.

We strongly encourage Lubbock residents with a private water well who may have been exposed to these toxic chemicals and are now suffering from the various diseases and cancers listed above to seek medical help and contact our environmental legal team. Our knowledgeable staff will explain your legal options; the consultation is free and confidential. There is no obligation and we only recover fees if we win your case. There are strict time limitations for filing an action for both property damage and personal injury claims, so do not lose your opportunity to file or receive compensation by not contacting us.

We look forward to the opportunity to help you too; contact us for your free, no-obligation case evaluation today.